Operation S.I.N. #1Review

Operation S.I.N. kicks off with two goals in mind. The first is to serve as a companion of sorts to last year's mini-series Original Sin, exploring an early mission involving previous "Man on the Wall" Woodrow McCord. The other is to take advantage of this week's premiere episode of Agent Carter and provide TV viewers with a comic book team-up between Peggy Carter and Howard Stark. This first issue is largely successful with the latter goal, but not so much the first.

Operation S.I.N. picks up in 1952, after Agent 13 was retired from the game and settled into quiet, suburban semi-retirement. It's not long before Mr. Stark comes calling, in his way, and the duo embark on a new mission in Moscow. The actual story in this issue is pretty unremarkable. The period setting and Cold War intrigue are nothing we haven't seen before. McCord's role within the tale, for now, is perfunctory and barely warranted by the events within. As an extension of Original Sin, this series fails to build much interest.

However, it's the dynamic between Peggy and Howard that makes this first issue worth reading. Much like their relationship in Captain America: The First Avenger and the Agent Carter show, there's both a rivalry and a sense of camaraderie linking the two. Peggy's no-nonsense, soldierly manner mixed with Howard's playboy charm work well and gives the book its spark. Whether the series will continue to coast on that character dynamic or grow stronger legs remains to be seen.

The art isn't bad either. Artist Rich Ellis and colorist Jordan Boyd capture the period setting and its nostalgic, sepia tones. Ellis' character designs have a loose but charming quality. There's even a B-movie quality that begins to develop as the conflict takes a slightly weirder turn. It should be interesting to see how the artists tackle the visual challenges ahead of them as this mission grows stranger still.